NGOs slam Susilo for weak rights policies<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Top human rights groups slammed the administration of President
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday for failing to protect human
\nrights during its first year in office.<\/p>\n
Human rights watchdogs including the Commission for Missing
\nPersons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Institute for
\nPolicy Research and Advocacy (Elsam), the Legal Aid Foundation
\nand the Human Rights Working Group highlighted several cases of
\nhuman rights abuses over the past year, as well as government
\npolicies that threatened freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
They cited a series of attacks by Muslim groups on minority
\nChristian communities and Ahmadiyah, an Islamic group that is
\nviewed by some as heretical. The rights groups also deplored the
\npolice's failure to take action against the attackers.<\/p>\n
Usman Hamid of Kontras warned that a government plan to
\nreactivate the military's much-criticized territorial commands to
\nfight terrorism would deal a blow to people's freedom.<\/p>\n
Activists have said that reviving the commands could pave the
\nway for the military to become involved in politics and rights
\nabuses, as occurred during the Soeharto era.<\/p>\n
\"If it (the plan) realized it would be a major blow to
\ndemocracy,\" Usman said during a press conference. \"The plan views
\ncivilians as part of the terror threat, while in fact it could be
\nthe security officers who are the threat (to the people).\"<\/p>\n
The plan to reactive the military's territorial commands came
\nfrom Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto,
\nfollowing calls from President Susilo for the military to be
\nproactive in fighting terrorism.<\/p>\n
Since Soeharto lost power, the military's role has been
\nreduced to protecting the country from external threats, with
\ninternal security, including fighting terrorism, being left to
\nthe police.<\/p>\n
The rights groups also criticized court decisions acquitting
\npolice officers accused of gross rights violations in the Papua
\nregency of Abepura, as well as the acquittal on all charges of
\nMaj. Gen. Sriyanto, who led the bloody Army crackdown on Muslim
\nprotesters in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, in 1984.<\/p>\n
The groups said these decisions indicated that security
\nauthorities could commit rights violations with impunity.<\/p>\n
The groups also slammed what they saw as the government's lack
\nof commitment to improving the economic, political and social
\nconditions of the indigenous peoples of Papua.<\/p>\n
\"It is ironic, we just ratified two (international) covenants
\non civilian political rights and on economic, social and cultural
\nrights earlier this month, but the government's policies do not
\nrepresent a respect for the covenants,\" Ifdhal Kasim of Elsam
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Ifdhal also criticized the government's decision to raise fuel
\nprices, saying it \"prevents people from escaping from years of
\neconomic hardship\".<\/p>\n
The groups urged both Susilo and Vice President Yusuf Kalla to
\nimprove their performances for the remainder of their term,
\notherwise \"we will persuade legislators to file for impeachment\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-slam-susilo-for-weak-rights-policies-1447893297",
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